


Worth It All

by ReinaWritesStuff



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Babies, Childbirth, F/M, Family Fluff, Future Fic, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-07 00:03:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14068500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReinaWritesStuff/pseuds/ReinaWritesStuff
Summary: Panic and concern wash over Winterfell as Daenerys endures a difficult delivery while Jon is away.





	Worth It All

The castle was in chaos. Every hand in Winterfell who could manage was working to aid their ailing queen. Daenerys, nearing full term with the child she carried, had suddenly excused herself from a meeting of council, much to the concern of all in attendance. Once out of the Great Hall, she had complained to Missandei that she was in immense pain. Only with her councilwoman’s help was she able to walk until she collapsed against a wall, straining in agony. 

Dany was carried to her room, and it was there that they first realized the blood. No one knew how long she’d been bleeding, not even Dany. Only that she and the baby were in grave danger. Sansa and Arya rallied the workers to gather as much cloth and hot water as they could. Every maester tended to her, trying every way they could ease her pain and stop the bleeding. 

Hours passed and while the bleeding had subsided, Dany had lost too much blood in the process. Her dewy skin was lacking so much life that, if she were to have lied still enough, she could’ve been mistaken for dead. The maesters were unsure of the fate of the child but knew that Daenerys was clinging onto her last bit of life. Still, she insisted against the wishes of those around her to try and deliver her baby. 

 “My child is still alive,” she declared between labored breaths. 

Reluctantly, they agreed and helped her into position. Her stabbing cries echoed throughout Winterfell. The dragons flew above wildly, crying out as if to reflect their mother’s distress. No one wanted to speak it out loud, but onlookers had come to a painful realization. They would lose their queen that day, likely their heir, too. And all without their king present. 

Dany’s body grew more tired by every moment and the child had still not come. She had not given up, though, and her sisters gathered beside her. Arya and Sansa both tried to remain as strong as she was even though they, too, could see the life fading from her. Dany grabbed Arya’s hand, struggling to keep her own hand from falling.  

“Send a raven,” she weakly told Arya. Arya understood. 

Jon had ridden for what was left of Castle Black a week prior. At first he refused to go, but Dany insisted that sorting out the repair of the Wall was too important to not address immediately. If she couldn’t go herself, he needed to go instead. He left Ghost behind with her. Added protection along to her dragons. She swore that she would be fine with him gone as would their child. He believed her. 

Jon sat at the table with Dolorous Edd, still the acting Lord Commander, looking over the estimated plan of repair and restoration, unaware of the scene at Winterfell. 

“With the amount of labor we’ll need to repair the damage both here and at Eastwatch, we won’t finish it in any of our lifetimes, that’s for sure,” Edd spoke.

“I know.” Jon looked at the numbers of surviving Night’s Watch men with melancholy. 

They were interrupted by footsteps quickly approaching. A man made his way straight to Jon. 

“Your Grace, a raven scroll arrived from Winterfell,” he said handing the paper to Jon. 

Jon took it, unraveling it hastily, and read the words in horror. 

_Jon,_

_The baby is coming now, but Daenerys is critically ill. This is dire, and I do not know what will happen to either of them. No time to waste. You must come home immediately. Please._

_Arya_

 

He dropped the scroll and charged out of the room without any further word. Edd called after him to no avail. Jon didn’t speak to anyone as he jumped on his horse. Davos and the soldiers followed suit but couldn’t keep up with how quickly Jon rode for the gates. 

The sound of his horse’s hooves beating against the ground could only slightly drown out the sound of Jon’s panicked heart. Jon hadn’t stopped long enough to tell Davos why they were leaving with such haste. But, Davos knew that whatever the cause of this was must have been a crisis and likely involved the queen and his unborn child. The one glimpse he got of Jon’s face before they left Castle Black was enough to tell him that much. So, he followed with no questions. The other soldiers trailed behind.

“Your Grace, we must stop for a moment,” one soldier called out that next morning. “We have been riding clear through the night. Your horse must rest.” 

“You stop here, then,” Jon barked at the soldier, only slowing his horse momentarily, “My horse and I will ride until I reach Winterfell. But, if you stop here now, do not return.” 

Without another word or any further need for threats, the entire party pushed forward. 

Approaching the gates of Winterfell, he couldn’t see the dragons. They were always near when she was there. His face dropped and his heart sunk, but he couldn’t let up. He rode through the gates so quickly that his horse had to rear back to stop in the courtyard. Jon jumped off, not even waiting for a stable hand to grab his horse’s reins, hurrying into the castle. He felt everyone’s stares on him but had no time to stop. 

Jon made his way through the corridor, frantically calling out Daenerys’ name. Sansa emerged from a room, startled to see him so soon. She calmly tried to approach him, placing her hands on his arm to stop him. 

“Jon,” she said quietly. But, he was not ready to hear it. Not from her or anyone. He needed to confirm it for himself. Confirm that he was too late. Shaking his head, he tore his arm away from her and barged past her, headed for Dany’s room. “Jon, wait!” 

When he reached her room, he took a deep, staggered breath before opening the door. To his shock, Dany was lying in the bed, her back to the door and her silver hair flowing behind her. Her shoulders rose and fell with her sleeping breaths. Looking into the bassinet near her bed, though, it was empty. No sign that a child had ever been in it. Jon stifled the tears in his eyes as he approached her. Their child was gone, he thought. Gone before even given the chance to live. What could he say to her to soothe her? How was he to help her through this tragedy when he was uncertain of how he would get through it? 

But, as he circled her bed to face her, he was taken aback. Nestled next to her, sleeping as soundly as she and wrapped loosely in a small blanket, was a tiny baby. Dany’s hand rested on the child’s chest securely. Ghost curled up in a nearby corner as if to protect them both. Stunned and overcome with the emotions he’d held since he received the scroll, Jon dropped to his knees at her bedside. 

He cautiously reached out and took Dany’s hand in his. The action shook her awake, her eyes readying for defense until she saw Jon staring at her with relief. She smiled at him sweetly as he placed her hand to his lips. Her eyes had traces of darkness beneath them, her skin slightly paler, and it was too apparent just how sick she had been. But, she was well enough and appeared to be on the mend. Then, his gaze went to the babe at her side. 

“A boy,” she whispered, “I’ve named him Aemon.” 

A boy, Jon thought. A son. He touched the dark, faint hair on Aemon’s head softly, and the baby moved slightly. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Jon lifted him into his arms. Aemon opened his eyes, looking directly at Jon as if he knew who he was. There wasn’t a flaw on him. Jon was certain that everything about Aemon was perfect. He felt as if his entire world was cradled in his arms in that moment. He touched the baby’s face in awe, held his hand with only two of his fingers. Jon couldn’t take his eyes off of him. This beautiful child was his.

“When I received Arya’s scroll,” Jon began, still entranced by Aemon, “I thought that I had lost you both. I’ve never ridden back that fast before. I was terrified of what I’d find when got here.” 

Dany sat up in bed, looking at her husband and son together. She’d been cruelly denied this experience before, only seeing it in visions of a past that could have been. She thought she’d never have that chance again. But, Jon was flesh and blood, same as Aemon. Both alive before her. Tears welled up in her eyes at the sight of her reality. 

“I couldn’t leave you,” she said defiantly, “I refused to. So did our son.” 

“Then he has your strength.” 

“And yours.” 

Jon, securing Aemon in one arm, brought Daenerys closer and kissed her. They remained with their foreheads together and eyes closed, taking in the moment with each other. With their child. This family of theirs. All of which were so close to being torn apart. 

A knock on the door was the only thing to bring them out of the moment. Dany beckoned the visitor in and the maester entered. He apologized for the intrusion as soon as he saw Jon. 

“It’s time for your treatment, My Queen,” the man said. 

“It’s fine,” Dany replied. 

She smiled at Jon as if to reassure him that there was nothing further to worry about. He nodded at her, and carefully placed Aemon in her arms. With another kiss on her lips and one on Aemon’s head, Jon headed out with more relief than he could’ve imagined when he first entered the room. 

Wandering, he made his way to the balcony overlooking a courtyard. Ser Davos was waiting there, as well. He’d finally been updated on what happened.  Jon stood beside him wordlessly. Overhead, the dragons had taken flight again, circling the castle on their usual patrol.

“How is she?” Davos asked.

“Much better than I’d anticipated.” 

“And the child?” 

“A healthy boy. Aemon.” 

“Gods be good,” Davos said, “That’s what the religious folk still say, right?” 

Jon only chuckled at that as did Davos. The two looked over the courtyard filled with training weapons and target boards. 

“You can train him well here.” Davos pointed below. 

“This is where we were learned to fight growing up. Me, Robb, Theon, all of us. But, I never could’ve hoped that my own child would train here. That I’d even have a child or a wife to bear him. But now I’m here.” 

“You are.” Davos looked over at the unusually serene look on Jon’s face and grinned. “So, was it all worth being brought back to life?” 

“Yes,” Jon smiled after a thoughtful pause. “It was.” 


End file.
